Auckland University pair win prestigious planning award in London

Two students from the University of Auckland have won a top prize at the prestigious International Federation of Housing and Planning (IFHP) Congress for an entry based on Garden City princples

Two Urban Planning students from Auckland University have claimed a top prize at the International Federation of Housing and Planning (IFHP) Congress for an entry based on retrofitting Mangere under Garden City principles.

The international student competition was a part of IFHP’s centennial celebrations held in London last week and was dedicated to cities and human settlement issues.

Ying Liu and Yuqing Zhou, who are both fourth-year Bachelor of Planning students, were invited to the event to accept their award in front of an audience of over 800 people.

Their idea was to use Garden City principles to transform Mangere in response to challenges of climate change, social justice, delivering healthy places whilst responding to demographic pressures, and the transformation to a green economy.

Three other students from Auckland University made it to the finals, having been judged to be in the top 15 entries from around the world.

“It is a tremendous achievement by our Urban Planning students. Ying and Yuqing’s placing amongst the top three prize winners is tremendous”, says Dr Elizabeth Aitken Rose, Head of School of Architecture and Planning.

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